Improving
playground accessibility
with new surface material
Working under a grant from The U.S. Access Board,
researchers at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Madison, Wisconsin,
have developed a playground surface using inexpensive wood chips that
could make playgrounds, paths and other recreational facilities accessible
to people who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids.
Because the wood-based material is considerably less
expensive than most alternative materials on the market, the material
could permit municipalities and school districts to comply with legislated
requirements affecting tens of thousands of publicly funded playgrounds
nationwide.
Researchers at FPL developed a combination of wood
chips and polyurethane that provides a surface cohesive enough to support
someone using crutches, a wheelchair or other mobility aid while being
resilient enough to soften falls.
On October 21, 2004
Dr. Ann Bartuska, US Forest Service Deputy Chief for Research, attended a
ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Wheatley Center to dedicate the new accessible
playground area, which is the first demonstration site for the SEWF surfacing
material.
News Release: Forest
Service Unveils Innovative Wheelchair-Friendly Playground Materials
that Use Cost-Effective Wood Chips. (HTML, PDF, DOC)
On October 6, 2004
Ted Laufenberg of FPL, in conjunction with Prince Georges County Public Schools
Maintenance Department and Zeager Brothers of Middletown, Pennsylvania, installed
the so-called “stabilized engineered wood fiber” (SEWF) under
a new swing set at the H. Winship Wheatley Early Childhood Center in Capitol
Heights, Maryland. The playground equipment had not been used because of
the lack of a safe, accessible surface.
News Article from
Washington Post: In Md.,
Innovative Chips Make Playground Disabled-Friendly. (HTML, PDF, DOC)
On December 2003
People who use wheelchairs may find it easier to move around at two Wisconsin
state parks thanks to a field trial of new surface materials being conducted
by researchers from the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory (FPL)
and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
News Release: New "Wheelchair-Friendly
Surface Material Being Tested at State Parks. (HTML, PDF, DOC)
Publications
- Research
Summary: Engineered Wood Fiber Surfaces Improve Accessibility for American
with Disabilities (PDF292)
- Improving
Engineered Wood Fiber Surfaces for Accessible Playgrounds.
Laufenberg, Theodore L.; Krzysik, Andrzej; Winandy, Jerrold. 2003. In: Gen.
Tech. Rep. FPL-GTR-135; U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest
Products Laboratory. 15p.
- Field
Performance Testing of Improved Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF) Surfaces
for Accessible Playground Areas.
Laufenberg, Theodore L.; Winandy, Jerrold E. 2003. In: Gen. Tech. Rep. FPL-GTR-138;
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 14p.
- Stablized Engineered Wood
Fiber for Accessible Playground Surfaces.
Installation and Serviceability Results: Governor Nelson State Park, Wisconson.
Laufenberg, Theodore L.; Winandy, Jerrold E. 2004. In: Gen. Tech. Rep. FPL-GTR-154;
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 13p.
- Stablized Engineered Wood
Fiber for Accessible Trails.
Installation and Serviceability Results: Governor Dodge State Park, Wisconsin.
Laufenberg, Theodore L.; Winandy, Jerrold E. 2004. In: Gen. Tech. Rep. FPL-GTR-155;
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 13p.
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